Bensusan Collection

In the article below, journalist Lucille Davie describes one of Joburg's hidden gems, the camera obscura at Museum Africa. She also delves into the significance of the Bensusan Collection held by the museum. The piece was first published on the City of Joburg's website on the 14 February 2006. Click here to view more of Davie's work.

Did you know that there’s a periscope on the top of the Museum Africa building, looking down on the goings-on of Newtown?

Well, actually, it’s a camera obscura which operates much like a periscope. It gives the viewer a 360º view of what’s happening outside the building. It was built on the top floor of the Bensusan Museum of Photography in around 2001, as a Blue IQ project, costing roughly R200 000. It was custom built for the museum – there are only five others in the country. 

Inside the building the image is projected on to a large round table, and a metre or so above the table is a ring that moves, moving the mechanism that holds the mirror on the roof. As the ring moves so does the image on the table.

The Camera Obscura (Mark Straw)

These periscope mechanisms were first recorded in Chinese writings from around 500BC, says Jonathan Frost, curator of the museum, housed...

Last month I attended the opening of the new photographic exhibition at Museum Africa: The Gift of Seeing History – The Legacy of Dr Arthur David Bensusan. The exhibition commemorates the 51st anniversary of the establishment of the Bensusan Museum and Library of Photography. The exhibition runs until 21st September and has been curated by Ms Dudu Madonsela of Museum Africa.

The photographic collection of Dr Bensusan was a remarkable gift to the City of Johannesburg (a donation made to the city in 1969). It is made up of photographs he gathered all his life as well as historic photographic equipment he collected.

Bensusan started his collection at his home at 9 St Paul’s Road in Houghton but the collection later moved to a house turned museum on Empire Road. When that was demolished to make way for the park to serve Hillbrow, the collection went to the Africana Museum and later still was relocated to Museum Africa where it was given a generous sized exhibition area on the top floor.

It has always been one of my favourite collections at Museum Africa. Congratulations to Dudu Madonsela and Brett McDougall (from the Johannesburg Heritage Foundation) for assembling, collaborating and promoting this exhibition of photographs that so fittingly captures Bensusan’s work, life and legacy. A blue plaque will be unveiled at the home of the Bensusan family, where Arthur David Bensusan was born (22 Oaklands Road, Orchards, Johannesburg).

Bensusan was a son of  Johannesburg. He was born in 1921 and was called Kin by family and friends. His interest in photography started as a young boy at...